Altered Friendships
by Sallymaze08
Summary: She was witty, intelligent, beautiful, graceful, sweet-natured - everything I wasn't. So what made me think that I could fall in love with her and she would return my feelings? What made me have hope? And now I'm stuck here asking... What made her choose me?
1. First Flash

**_Author's Note_  
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**New Story! I still have to finish my first story, "Strawberry-Scented Reality", which is still available if you want to take a look so, I won't be updating this story as frequently until it's done. Stick around though. You just might like ;D. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Nicely, please.**

**P.s.- It will be posted but I am not fully done with this chapter. This is just a preview to see how you guys like it. Review, fav, follow whatever you like. Just enjoy.**

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"Akamaru!"

Kiba was dead- Or at least that's what it looked like if his mother found out he'd lost his new puppy. It was a clan requirement. It was time for him to be an important asset to the Inuzuka clan, of ninken.

So how the heck could he have been so stupid?!

"Where are ya, boy?"

It was night. Even worse for Kiba. If his mother found out he was outside at night AND he was looking for his new dog, she'd kill him once then, go to heaven where his innocence at dying at young age would lie then, drag him back down to Earth, and kill him again. After all, he did live in a world of ninjas. Anything and everything dangerous happens at night.

And if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to experience it.

But Kiba knew he had to at least avoid one kill that - would inevitably happen if he found Akamaru but, was caught out this late.

He walked slowly, his flashlight seemingly the only source of light, in the dark and barren streets of Konoha. It was so weird, he noted, being alone out here without the business and bustling of the people during the day, all around him.

Kiba did a quick re-check of the past events in his mind, that led up to the catastrophe he was facing now:

He'd been at the playground with Akamaru, playing catch with the dog and avoiding his mother's strict instructions to train prior.

He was asked by some nobody, named Naruto, to have a quick race to the next building after the park.

He, of course, accepted that challenge willingly, ecstatic to put the boy in his place and had told Akamaru to stay put near the swings until he came back from winning.

He'd won, obviously.

But what he failed to remember was that Akamaru was still in training. "Training," as in training to OBEY his new master.

And now he was stuck here, heading for a load of trouble.

"Akamaru, you've got to be here somewhere!," he yelled, quickly losing hope.

Kiba was livid. If he couldn't find one dang dog then was he really fit to be a ninja?!

He wanted to yell. He wanted to scream. But he was no wussy. He was a man. A 7-year old, halfway there, man.

So he would continue his search, ignoring his childish tendencies. He just HAD to find that dog.

Suddenly, somewhere in the distance to his right, he heard giggling. "Who could that be out this late," he asked himself, "It sounds like a little girl."

He realized that from where he was standing in the street, the giggling had come from the direction of of the playground.

THAT'S IT! How could he have been so dense?

He'd lost Akamaru at the playground so it would only make a lot of sense if he checked there first. Why couldn't he have thought of this sooner? It would have saved him a lot of more time and hassle.

He abruptly started to sprint in the way of the playground, anxious to retrieve his puppy and get home as fast as he can.

Akamaru was there. He could just feel it in his gut.

-SsssS-

Kiba had arrived at the playground in a few minutes. He carefully scanned the area. The playground was empty, the eerily sounding swings slowly swinging back and forth, creaking.

"Akamaru?", he whispered with a gulp, "Are ya there?"

Suddenly, being a grown-up ninja seemed terrifying.

He walked around the playground slowly, whipping his flashlight around to any noise he deemed suspicious or scary. After searching the whole ground area of the playground, he came to two conclusions:

Akamaru wasn't here.

And he was out of options.

"No," he whispered, his voice cracking, "No, no, no! I did not just lose my new dog!"

The tears were coming. He had given up. He couldn't take being a "man" anymore. He had searched high and low in Konoha most of the day and night for Akamaru and he hadn't seen one trace of his puppy anywhere.

"I'm so dead," he whispered, continuing to cry silently.

"Psst."

What was that?

"Psssssst."

"Huh?," Kiba had stopped crying for a second to pay attention to the sound he'd assumed he heard.

"Hey, you, psssst!"

Kiba did a quick re-check of his surroundings. It was only him at the playground. Or so he thought.

"Up here in the tree, you idiot!"

He realized he was sitting on the trunk of an old oak tree, right outside the park. He looked up.

A hand motioning for him to come up in frantic motions, stuck out from a large branch on the tree that seemed to be concealing the mystery person from view.

With no thought as to why he was doing this in mind, Kiba quickly leaped up the tree in the direction of the hand.

As he sat down on the trunk, he could make out a body beside him, face covered by the darkness. The person had long hair, so Kiba concluded, it was a girl.

She must have been the girl he heard giggling before searching the playground.

"Who are you?," he asked warily, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wipe away his tears.

"Who are _you?,"_ the person repeated, a hint of teasing laced in her voice.

"Stop playing games and tell me why you called me up here," said Kiba, growing annoyed.

"Ok, ok," the girl resigned, "Shine your flashlight on me."

"Huh?," asked Kiba in confusion.

"_Huh?," _the girl repeated in a mocking tone, "I said, shine your flashlight on me. Are you hard of hearing or something?"

"No," Kiba scoffed, slightly offended. He clicked on his flashlight and shined it at said concealed person.

There he saw a girl about his age, slightly taller in size and of a fair caramel colored complexion. Her eyes were a pupiless brown, and her eyelashes were like a cat's, long and sharp. She had hip-length, long dark brown feathered hair, that covered parts of her face and half of her left eye. Her hair color could probably be easily mistaken as black in the day, if he didn't have his flashlight on her at the moment. She wore a plain white t-shirt with black shorts, the traditional ninja sandals on her swinging feet, over the trunk.

And by her side, she stroked a sleeping Akamaru, making adorable soft noises in his slumber. His ears twitched slightly and his face held an expression of bliss.

As much expression a dog can hold, Kiba thought in awe.

Snapping out of his daze, he realized that this girl - This girl who he did not know...was holding his dog.

"Who are you...to be HOLDING MY DOG?!," Kiba exclaimed in alarm, raising his voice with every syllable.

The girl cringed slightly, "Shhhh! You'll wake him up!"

Kiba had started to say something back when the girl put up her hand, signaling to go no further.

Maybe he _should _let her explain herself first.

"I won't tell you my name," the girl deadpanned. Kiba frowned slightly at this. "But I will tell you that I found your dog a few hours ago, while sitting up in this tree and reading a good book of mines. I thought he was adorable but...he wasn't mine."

Kiba nodded cautiously.

"So I sat him down with me and waited for the owner to turn up because I knew they'd be back a dog as sweet as him," she explained, "But honestly, It took you long enough. Your first place to search should have been the park."

Kiba looked away, slightly embarrassed. It sounded like she was insulting his intelligence. He couldn't say much back, either. Mom always told him to be good to girls... or they would pummel him to a pulp. Especially her, if she heard he was treating girls wrong.

"What's his name?," the girl suddenly asked after a moment's silence. Kiba hesitated. If she didn't tell him her name, why should he tell her is dogs'?

The mysterious girl noted his hesitation and added, "If you tell me this little, cute, pups' name, I'll tell you _mine."_

Convincing, convincing, Kiba thought speculatively. He _did_ want to know the 'savior of his life' name.

"Akamaru," he confessed at last.

"Aww, how sweet! His name means red! But wait...why isn't he red? Wouldn't it make more sense to name him the color if, he _was _that color?," the girl asked thoughtfully.

"Inuzuka clan confidentiality," Kiba answered with a prideful smirk on his face. He loved going on about the strength of his clan to people.

"All right, fine," the girl said defeated, "So what's your name?"

"Me I'm...Kiba Inuzuka, shinobi of the Inuzuka clan of Konohagakure," Kiba boasted with a cheesy grin.

The girl rolled her eyes. "You said that already."

"Yeah I know. Just making sure you know who's boss here...since I'm from a well-respected shinobi clan and all," Kiba gloated.

The girl laughed suddenly, waking up Akamaru in the process. Kiba stared at her confused. Was she laughing at his clan or him?

Akamaru wagged his tail lazily at the sight of his new owner but soon, cowered in fear, detecting the sudden darken in Kiba's mood.

As the girl continued to laugh harder, Kiba's incredulous gaze at the girl soon turned into anger.

How dare she, insult the Inuzuka name by laughing so easily like this?! It was like ripping a part his pride! His pride in his clan. Girl or not, she was going to be set straight by Kiba himself. Curse his mom's rules...He'd regret it later.

Who did she think she was?

Who was she?

But before he could even answer that question the girl had already jumped off the tree and started walking out.

Blinded by his fury, Kiba failed to notice that in her fit of laughter, the girl had gave one last pat to Akamaru in goodbye and jumped out of the tree, while still laughing her head off.

He was too in shock to go after the girl walking away, and demand an apology for her rudeness.

When she was out of sight Kiba heard the girl called back, "See you around!"

It was when she said that Kiba forgot all about his anger at her and remembered:

"DAMN IT! SHE NEVER TOLD ME HER NAME!"


	2. Finding

_**Author's Note**_

**Thank you to you all who read my preview to this story. The results were great so of course, I just HAD to continue it. Thank you to ARavensShadow and Kaori Yume for following this story. It always means a lot for my fans to review, fav, or follow, because it shows that I'm not just doing this for nothing and at least someone has taken notice. So please, if you can, review,fav,follow, whatever you like. I just hope you enjoy.**

**P.s. - You caught me before I put this chapter up. Yay! So, my great thanks to narby321 for following AND reviewing my story. Greatly appreciated.**

**Disclaimer=**** I don't know why I ALWAYS forget this. I guess because it's pointless. I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. I want them for Christmas though :).**

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When Kiba trudged home that night - Akamaru by his side AND in his line of sight - his conflicting thoughts had distracted him from thinking about the punishment that surely awaited him once he got home.

Who was that girl anyway?

Did she even know who she was laughing at?

She'd obviously been another young ninja in training, just like him, since he had spotted the ninja sandals on her feet when sitting with her on that tree earlier. But did she even come from a clan? Or was she just from a mundane civilian family, with hopes of becoming a great ninja despite her contradicting nature. Kind of like Sakura, Kiba recalled.

But what bewildered Kiba the most is, the time of night he'd seen the girl outside. Kiba had an excuse but, what was hers? She'd have to have had parents that worried about her being out this late, like Kiba's family. Especially if she was also in the 'shinobi business'.

"Danger lurks at every corner, when you are a ninja," Kiba remembered his instructor at the Academy, had said one class.

That was also funny, Kiba absent-mindlessly thought, - funny, that he had remembered at least one thing Iruka-sensei had said in his instruction time. Kiba been too busy sleeping through it all or cutting class, with a few other kids, to pay attention to a word his sensei was saying.

Which also explains why he never remembered seeing that girl in his class, since she looked of his age.

But Kiba had a small nagging voice in his mind assuring him that somehow, he'd be seeing her again.

"She's not important anyway," Kiba reminded himself while walking into his clan's yard. Knowing her name didn't make a difference.

Just as Kiba started to try to make his way into his house with stealth, more so to avoid his mother - it was yanked open, almost breaking off it's hinges.

"Inuzuka KIBA!"

-SsssS-

This so wasn't fair. It was his day off from school. He should NOT be spending it like this.

Spending it in the old training grounds...training.

With his big sis' supervising.

"Try it again," Hana demanded, "Mastering the 'Gatsuga' move with Akamaru requires upper body strength and mind connection communication with your canine to do the same. You aren't showing either."

Kiba sighed exaggeratedly and spat on the ground in frustration, "Don't you have some dogs to kill or something?"

Hana snarled annoyingly, "How laughable. I'm a vet, not a dog slayer."

Kiba laughed sarcastically, "Whatever," he relented with a snort, "boss," he added with air quotes.

"Just be quiet and finish your training, Kiba or I won't hesitate to sick all three of the Haimaru Brothers on you. It isn't my fault you are in this," Hana closed off, crossing her arms triumphantly.

"Then if you don't mind me asking," Kiba, glaring hard at the debris covered ground, "Why did mom even ask _you _to help me train. I don't know if you've noticed but it's pretty humiliating to have a woman train - "

"Finish that sentence, Kiba," Hana cut off, all notions of her trying to negotiate with him nowhere to be found as a fiery aura surrounded her. She seemed to be breathng harshly and she stared hard at him, eyes daring him to say another word.

Kiba shivered in fear, "N-Nevermind," he finished.

"I'd thought so."

For the next few hours, Kiba had silently continued his training with Hana's supervision without complaint or objections. He followed all of her orders without hesitation, reminding himself that even though Hana was more of the laid-back family member, she still lived up to their clan's demeanor at times, feral and relentless to those that provoked it out of her.

Soon it'd reached midday in Konoha, and the sun was high and beaming more intently than when Kiba has first started training. He was exhausted, in dire need of sustenance and probably smelled like a sweaty armpit from being out in the sun for so long and sweating, but he felt invigorated and oddly refreshed as he came to a stop from training and fell back with Akamaru, panting and out of breath.

He'd heard footsteps, inching closer and closer to his right where he lay until they stopped before his side and he opened his eyes to see Hana staring uninterested, down at him.

"This is nothing, so far," she chastised knowingly, "I suppose I'll let you have this hour break, though. I _am_ hungry myself and you seemed to have redeemed yourself from earlier's retribution."

Kiba closed his eyes and tried to block her out of his mind. Thank you for letting him have a break and all from training but, why come and dampen his day some more by saying this - training - wasn't the end of it?

"Well, I'm off to get some food and drinks. I'll even be nice and brink some beef steak jerky for you to snack on before getting back to training," Hana dismissed, waving in retreat. Kiba perked up at this. Oh! How he loved him some beef steak jerky. Hana abruptly stood up and spun around on her heels, steadily retreating from the training grounds.

When his older sister was fully out of sight, Kiba sat up on the ground, scratching Akamaru's ears unconsciously and contemplating his surroundings.

"It's a little odd," he wondered outwardly, "Usually there is at least a few people here at the training grounds. Neh, Akamaru?"

The bite-sized pup barked back up at Kiba in cheery agreement. Kiba smiled. You'll always agree with me, buddy, he thought affectionately.

Kiba sighed and stretched back on his sore limbs. Maybe, he could take just a short nap until Hana came -

His thoughts were interrupted when he'd heard the faintest sound of young feminine grunting come from behind him.

Kiba eyes snapped open. He looked at the sky above him. It sounded familiar. That voice...

"Urghhh! Dammit! How does she expect me to master this without frying my brains out first?!"

It was that girl from last night. That girl who outsmarted him into forgetting to ask her name last night...!

He quietly turned around, not wanting to disturb...whatever she was doing.

Which looked like she was constipated, when he saw her.

Kiba struggled to hold in his laughter at the sight before him.

The girl sat on one of the three posts in the Old Training Grounds, legs crossed, hands forming some sort of seal (One that Kiba had breiefly remembered learning in the Academy but didn't bother to pay attention), eyes closed and brows furrowed in deep concentration.

It seemed to Kiba that she had yet to acknowledge his presence. His curiosity piqued, Kiba decided to save his laughter for later and quietly watch the scene that, he was sure, was about to commence from the girl.

All too soon, a blinding gush of wind emitted from the girl's direction and blasted Kiba in the face. Kiba had been blown back more than slightly and struggled to sit up. Akamaru frantically climbed into his masters shirt, scared of the unknown.

The distinct sound of lightning crackles were heard...? Huh?

Lightning? Kiba looked at the sky. It was a pretty, clear, blue, the clouds slowly moving in one direction. There wasn't a storm coming any time soon.

If there _was,_ then either him or Akamaru would have detected it way before it hit.

Then what was that?

Soon the wind died down and Kiba finally, looked back at the girl in bewilderment.

And what he saw was the most amazing thing he'd ever been able to see in his entire life.

Electrical flows of lightning discharged around the girls body, crackling loudly every once in a while when a flow was interrupted. The blinding blue currents, releasing from the girls body, lit up her face and caused her hair to flail wildly about behind her. Her eyes cringed and her look of concentration turned into a closed-eye scowl as she struggled to keep the electric flows around her long enough.

All thoughts of humiliating the girl by laughing his butt off, quickly left Kiba as he sat there in amazement and awe, wide-eyes with a trembling Akamaru inside his shirt.

This is so...breathtaking! Was all Kiba could think as he watched the girl grunt louder and more electric currents discharged from her body.

But as soon as the astounding sight took place before Kiba, soon as it was gone in a blink.

The abrupt stop of the light that flooded around the girl left Kiba dizzy and confused. She could only keep it up to a maximum of what? - 15 seconds, before giving out and panting like a dog, like she was doing now.

The girl clutched her black shirt, in the place of her heart, as she continued to pant, her eyes still closed, unaware of Kiba's thoughtful stare on her.

Now he really wanted to know this girl's name. Who really was she?! Where was she from? How did she learn something like that? Where is her family from? Why can't she hold it for long?

Questions and ideas, flooded Kiba's mind. That was amazing, he'd give her that but -

Kiba's thoughts were unexpectedly cut off, when the exasperated girl had fallen back on the post and hit the ground with a loud, "THUD!"

Kiba panicked and quickly got up, hastily putting Akamaru on his head. He hurried over to the girl behind the post, bending down at her side to look at her still panting form.

"Oi, oi! Are you okay? You aren't dying or anything right?"

The girl didn't answer. She continued panting for a few more minutes before it died down to light intakes of breaths through her nostrils.

With her eyes still shut, she finally answered:

"I - No, I'm not dying," the girl sighed, "...yet."

She laughed a breathless laugh before propping herself up on the ground. Kiba moved out her way and stood up. One main question plagued his mind:

How had she done that?!

The girl had opened her eyes by now. When she recognized Kiba's awe-stricken face, she smiled and noted, "Oh, it's you..."

Kiba flashed a toothy grin and said, "Yup it's me but, once again I ask, who are you and...now...How did you do THAT?!"

Surprised at his outburst the girl looked taken aback for a few seconds before confusion marred her features. Modestly averting her eyes to the ground, "Oh that...um..."

"Um?," Kiba urged her on.

The girl didn't answer for a few moments. Finally giving up, realizing he wanted an answer the girl said:

"Kiba, right?," she'd switched topics, "Listen...I don't know you. I'm not obligated to tell you my name...or of my abilities. Other than that, we're practically strangers. As you can see I'm a ninja in training as well as you are but I have a feeling...that's just how it will be. I'll just know you because of our duties as ninjas of Konohagakure. Let's leave it like that, m'kay?"

Kiba was taken aback. He didn't just want to know her name out of mere curiosity but, he at least wanted to know the name of his savior.

She didn't have to be so blunt about refusing.

"I'm sorry I guess but, wait..."Kiba thought for a moment, before remembering something suddenly, "...I told you my name! It's only fair!"

"Yeah but, did I ask for it yesterday, in the first place?," she struck back quickly.

Kiba didn't answer. He knew she was right but - he was dang sure not admittin' it.

"I thought so," she finished, "I'm going before you start asking the questions I know you have but, remember what we agreed on: Fellow acquaintance ninjas. No more than that. No more questions. I'll see you around, I guess."

The girl adjusted her back hip holster and started to stalk swiftly away from Kiba.

Kiba watched the girl as she walked, "I didn't agree on anything!"

The girl just shrugged and continued walking.

Albeit the girl was out of sight, Kiba let out a frustrated growl and kicked dust up from beneath his feet.

The nerve of that girl. Is a name that important that she can't tell him? What's so wrong with that?

Akamaru had made his way down Kiba's head on jumped to the ground beside Kiba when he deemed the coast was clear.

There was just something about that girl, Kiba thought to himself, that was strange.

But who was he to judge when he barely knew her?

"Ugh! What a bi-"

"Kiba I've got the - huh?"

Hana had came back from getting their snacks just as Kiba was about to yell a string of curses out. He'd already knew that, for now, it wasn't allowed in his family and would get him into a lot of trouble with the big guns:

Mom.

"O-Oh, Nothing, sis. Let's eat."


End file.
